In the government-backed project, artificial intelligence algorithms scan the data from brainwaves for outliers that could indicate anxiety or rage. At least a dozen factories or businesses are trialing it.

This development must be viewed in the context of the other proposed Chinese uses of AI to create a surveillance society (nationwide use of AI for facial recognition / attempts by the Police to use AI to predict “pre-criminal” behaviour / scoring of citizen behaviour to encourage social compliance, etc). On top of that comes President Xi’s leader-for-life status. China is far from an open society, and heading further away by the week.